Sith: Rebirth
by Dragonexx
Summary: A former slave, having been discovered to be strong in the Force, is sent to the Sith Academy at Korriban to be trained in the Dark Side. There she is thrust in to a world of Sith politics, corruption, manipulation and horror. But perhaps things can change. Perhaps the Empire can be reborn...
1. Korriban: The Homeworld

_A long time ago in a galaxy far far away...  
_  
 **Star Wars**

 **Sith: Shatterpoint  
**

 _The power of the dark side grows. The SITH EMPIRE has won a major victory against the Galactic Republic and its Jedi guardians, conquering and enslaving many new worlds."_

 _"With a fragile peace in place, the Empire sends its slaves to the ancient Sith stronghold of KORRIBAN, hoping to unearth relics of vast power that can be used to dominate the galaxy."_

 _"One slave, powerful with the Force, has been released from servitude and forced to master the dark arts of the Sith or die trying ..._

* * *

 **Chapter 1**  
 **Korriban: The Homeworld  
**

Ranna theorized that several years from now she would look upon torturing and crippling her boss as one of the best decisions of her life. Right now however, it resulted in a harsh and jarring alarm tearing her from sleep. She rose from the bed she had been given and stretched. While not truly comfortable, they were certainly better than the cramped, unpleasant quarters she had been consigned to as a slave.

As the door to her quarters opened, she saw that a box had been placed at her feet. Opening it she saw what she presumed to be her new uniform at the Sith Academy. She quickly donned it, shirt, skirt and leggings. Despite it's odd look the outfit was surprisingly comfortable, with soft and smooth, yet clearly durable fabric. Far better than the crude, rough clothing she had worn as a slave. Beneath the uniform was her training weapon, an electoblade to be used until she was permitted a lightsaber. She lifted the weapon and gave it a few test swings. Supposedly the blade was balanced to resemble the weight of an actual lightsaber. With the push of a switch, electricity crackled along the length of the blade.

As she finished looking at herself, she heard another signal. This time over the intercom.

"All acolytes are to report to dropship Mern immediately."

Ranna obliged, heading down the hallway as she slung the blade over her shoulder, where it magnetically attached itself to her back. She caught up with the dropship just as it was about to take off, crowding in with several other students.

The ride down to the surface was rough but brief, and the ship touched down rather rapidly, giving Ranna a sense of vertigo.

The hatch opened, letting in bright light, and a wave of hot, dry air. Ranna and the rest of the acolytes exited the ship. Stepping onto the landing pad she took stock of the area around her.

Korriban was a desert world, with a sky that looked eternally like a sunset. Around her she could see massive statues, of figures with their heads bowed in subservience.

Ranna closed her eyes, and began measured breathing and relaxation. She extended her senses, immersing herself in the Force. She could feel it calling out to her, drawing her in.

 _I feel, apprehension, ambition, fear, envy. This place..._

Ranna was suddenly dragged out of her contemplation. After a split second of confusion, she realized that another of the acolytes had bumped into her. _Rude._

She was about to say something, when he turned and she saw the red skin that marked him as a Sith Pureblood. Instinctively she lowered her head from his yellow eyed gaze, a reflex drilled into her from years of slavery. She heard the Pureblood snort in amusement before turning away.

 _Ranna, you idiot, there's no need for that anymore. This is Korriban, we are acolytes, and thus equals!_

After admonishing herself, she continued forwards to were the group met with a man she could only presume was the Overseer. All the other acolytes stood before him, save the Pureblood, who left landing pad on his own.

The Overseer was a Human male with short brown hair, a goatee, and a strange tattoo over his eye. He looked over the new students, not even hiding the derision in his eyes.

"Ah, the last one to arrive!" He said in a mocking tone. "I hope you don't let your newfound freedom go to your head, or come to think that you don't need to pass your trials to become sith!"

Ranna's attention divided when she noticed that the Sith Pureblood already walked past the overseer and out of the arrival port. When she attempted to get a better look she saw the Overseer tense.

The Overseer then addressed the whole group. "Lord Zash has tasked me with sorting through you refuse to find a suitable apprentice for her, and I intend to do exactly that."

Ranna raised her hand, which got her strange looks from the other acolytes, and withering glare from the man.

"What is it, scum?!"

Hoping she wasn't blushing, Ranna asked. "Who's Zash?"

"That's Lord Zash to you slave. She is a Dark Lord of the Sith and more important than you will ever be!"

"Now the rest you gutter trash already have your assignments, though I doubt any of you will survive them. Go ahead, while I bring our straggler up to speed!"

As the other acolytes left, one them walked past Ranna and gave her what was clearly a forced smile. "Watch your back friend, but don't worry, he can't kill all of us."

"Thanks. And you take care of yourself as well." Ranna said, returning the smile at the somewhat failed attempt at gallows humor.

The Overseer gave the other Acolyte a look of disapproval as she left but said nothing.

"Now you. There's a hermit named Spindrall who lives in the tomb of Ajunta Pall in the Valley of the Dark Lords. Spindrall's a lunatic, but apparently Zash sees him as some sort of prophet. Once you find him he will test you. After that, report to my classroom in the Academy. Now get out of my sight, slave!" The Overseer headed over to a computer terminal to begin data entry.

Ranna took one look around the landing pad. She couldn't shake the feeling that she'd be here again at some point, unpleasant as the thought might be. As she left the arrival center, she stepped out onto a balcony, and gasped in awe.

Despite the daunting prospect that was Sith training, she was still taken aback by how _beautiful_ Korriban looked. Beneath an eternal evening-like sky dotted with Korriban's many moons lay the Valley of the Dark Lords. Though ruins, the structures and statues that filled it were still in good condition. At the end of the valley, she could see the pyramidal structure that was the Sith Academy, it's tip crowned by the setting sun. This whole place was just _fascinating_.

"Impressive, isn't it?"

Ranna was shocked out of her thoughts, and she realized that someone was standing next to her, leaning over the balcony as well. Another acolyte, judging from her uniform. She was a tall, busty young woman, with white-gray hair down to mid back length. Her uniform was modified, clearly by her own hand with a likely deliberate rough cut revealing much of her cleavage.

"Y-yes." Ranna said. She looked up at the woman's face directly, and was taken aback. Her eyes were an unnatural and unnerving red color, complete with bloodshot veins. She could actually feel some strength in the force from this woman.

"The Sith Academy of Korriban." She turned back to looking towards the Valley. "There are other schools, you know. Other places where Sith are trained. However, none of them are as prestigious a place as this one."

"I-It's the homeworld of our civilization, right!" Ranna said.

"Indeed, and certainly the only academy fitting for one such as myself. Feels like a bit of shame that they've now opened it up to acolytes of such low birth, heck, even freaking _aliens_. Speaking of which."

The woman turned to face Ranna again. She looked her over in a way that made Ranna feel uncomfortable, only to make things worse when she placed her hand on Ranna's cheek. She caressed her cheek. Ranna closed her eyes. She had guessed things like this might happen in the academy. She considered fighting back, but sensing her fellow acolytes strength gave her pause.

Her hands ran down her neck to run over her breasts before squeezing them. Ranna closed her eyes tight, intending to just endure it. The acolytes ran her hands down Ranna's hips to her waist and rear, before back up to her chin, forcing Ranna to look at her.

"Blue hair. Weird for a Human, but other than that you're quite attractive, pretty face, big breasts, nice body."

Ranna remained silent, trembling.

"Oh, drop it, Blue, I'm just inspecting the goods." She then proceeded to spank Ranna. "Besides bedding fellow students is much more trouble than it's worth when there are plenty of choice slaves to pick from."

Ranna breathed a sigh of relief.

"However, others at the academy may not see it that way. Beauty is more of a curse than a blessing here, as undoubtedly many Twi'lek and Zeltron acolytes can attest." The acolyte adjusted her hair and pumped out her chest in a manner that was clearly intending to get Ranna to ask a question.

"If I might presume, what about you?" Ranna asked.

" _I_ have a means of dissuasion!" The acolyte reached for something on her belt that Ranna was surprised she hadn't noticed before. With the activation of a switch, a bright crimson blade lit up the area.

"Y-you have a lightsaber. But you're only an acolyte!" Ranna exclaimed.

"At my station one has certain... 'privileges'. I can more than handle myself!"

"You however." She lowered the lightsaber towards Ranna. "A few disfiguring scars would probably fix your problem."

Ranna paled, as she backed away from the acolyte. The Acolyte approached her, smiling as she held the lightsaber less than an inch from Ranna's face. Despite the bone-chilling terror, she couldn't help but notice that the weapon gave off no noticeable heat despite how close it was. More of her mind working overtime.

"So, where first, Blue? The nose, the ears, the lips?" The acolyte said cheerfully as the moved the lightsaber towards those points. "Maybe an eye! It's been a while since I got to put out an eye!"

"N-no. P-p-please don't."

"Fine, go and spoil all the fun, why don't you? I thought we really had something going there..." She extinguished the blade and placed it back on her belt. "But it doesn't solve the problem at hand, I suppose.. A low-born slave like yourself will just end up as someone's bitch within the week."

"Well..." Ranna was about to say that she could do just fine on her own.

"Howabout you become my friend?"

"Excuse me?"

"We cooperate. I get someone to do stuff for me. You get my reputation as protection from the more agressive acolytes. We'll be friends!"

This acolyte clearly had a strange definition of friendship, and Ranna thought about telling her than, before her eyes fell on her lightsaber and recalling how casual she had been about mutilating someone. Better to have her as a friend than anger her (for whatever definition of 'friend' this acolyte went by).

"Um... sure." Ranna nodded. "And I never got your name.

"The names Quarra. Pleased to make you acquaintance, Blue."

"Actually, my name is Ranna."

"Whatever, Blue." Quarra had already turned away, heading down the ramp towards a tomb opening.

Ranna sighed. _Bullied, belittled, felt up, threatened, and roped into servitude. I don't think it's even been ten minutes. We're certainly off to an_ excellent _start...  
_

* * *

 _And it's the first update of 2017! And it's not any of my preexisting stories! And it's an adaptation of SWTOR! And I'm already taking several liberties with the story!_

 _In all seriousness though, I've been kicking this idea around in my head for a while, and am glad to finally put it into words. As you've already guessed, our main character Ranna is the Sith Inquisitor, while Quarra is the Warrior. I'm going to be taking quite a few liberties with the storyline so don't think this will be a direct novellization of the game. I'm also planning a story for the Republic side, though that one will take much more planning before it ever goes up. Thanks for reading, and please leave a review and tell me what you think!_

 _~Dragonexx_

 **EDIT: I was pressed for time and uploaded this in a hurry. Now that I have the chance, I've fixed the grammar and spelling errors I've missed in my first proofread as well as added in some more stuff I've thought of.  
**


	2. Of Mind and Matter

**Sith: Shatterpoint  
Chapter 2**  
 **Of Mind and Matter**

* * *

The first thing that struck Ranna about the tombs were the sheer silence. Outside she could hear the wind blowing across the desert, the click and whirr of droids, the chatter of people and the hum of ships as they flew through the air. Here, there was none of that. Both her and Quarra's footsteps echoed ominously and Ranna was painfully aware of her own breathing.

The second thing she noticed was the darkness. Even near the entrance, the place was oppressively dark. A few meters away from there, and light was swallowed up completely. Even the torch droid that hovered near Quarra seemed far dimmer than it should have been.

Despite the desert heat outside, the tomb was notably cooler, though it wasn't pleasant. It grew colder from the moment they entered the tomb, and grew colder the further they journeyed in. Though her uniform was supposed to be functional in even extremes of temperature like Hoth or Mustafar, here she began to shiver. The cold went deeper than just the physical. She began to feel her heartbeat increase, her breathing speed up, and her hands stiffen. She felt frightened, hopeless, small. She looked towards Quarra, who didn't seem to be noticing anything, still walking forwards undaunted.

Then the voices came. Indistinct whispers so soft at first that she dismissed them as stray thoughts, only to grow louder and louder. Then she saw something move in the corner of her vision. When she turned, she saw nothing. Then she saw something else move. And another. And another. Ranna closed her eyes. This couldn't be real.

She felt something on her shoulder, and a breath on her ear. Ranna gave a shriek and spun around while grabbing her training blade.

She saw nothing.

She heard an annoyed sigh and turned around to see an exasperated looking Quarra.

"What's going on, Blue? I can sense you pussing out."

Figuring that not fighting Quarra's insults would be in her best interests Ranna explained. "I hear voices, whispers."

"This is the tomb of Ajunta Pall, the _original_ Dark Lord of the Sith. Many more of his followers are buried here as well. Their spirits still haunt these tombs to this day."

"I stopped believing in ghost stories when I was 6." Ranna answered dryly.

"You'd best start again, Blue. You're in one." Quarra stated. "This is the Valley of the Dark Lords, on Korriban, homeworld of the Sith. This place is powerful in the dark side of the Force. It's why the most promising of Sith are sent here to train. Though it can be overwhelming. Soldiers and _grotthu_ who are sent into these places sometimes go mad. That your having such a hard time does not make your future prospects promising."

Ranna said nothing and continued walking. The pair traveled in silence for a while, with Quarra again taking point. While they walked, in an effort to stave off madness, Ranna took the time to examine the tomb itself. Like outside, despite however many thousands of years old the structure was it was in very good condition. The floors and ceilings were carved with intricate patterns, while the walls had carvings depicting the Sith of past eras, and words written in what she presumed was the Sith language. The architecture of the tomb awoke an interest and intrigue that Ranna had never knew she had. The history of this place was fascinating!

Then she heard a moaning sound from the distance, echoing ominously through the hallway. Ranna immediately drew her training blade, while Quarra ignited her lightsaber. There were a few tense moments of silence as the sound of shuffling feet drew closer. Then the source of the noise came into the light. A Human male about the same age as Ranna and Quarra staggered into view. He was clearly a fellow acolyte, judging by the uniform he wore, though it was heavily torn. He was covered head to toe in dust and he clutched his side as he limped. He stopped and attempted to lean against the wall only to collapse to the ground.

Ranna rushed forwards to help. However, when sat him up, her hand came away wet. He was bleeding heavily from several deep gashes, obscured by the remnants of his uniform and the red light of the saber.

"Quarra, do you have any Kolto on you?" Ranna asked.

"Yeah, but what for?" Quarra asked, confused.

"We can use it to stabilize him long enough to get him to a med-droid. I saw one near the arrival station!"

There was a long silence before a severely confused Quarra asked: "Why?"

"Why? He's dying! We can ease his pain!" Ranna argued.

The acolyte gasped in pain and reached towards her. Ranna took his hand and held it. "Don't worry everything's going to be fine! You're going to-"

A bright red flash cut off her speech. When she opened her eyes, she saw a burning hole in the acolyte's chest. The acolyte looked at Ranna with tear-filled eyes and attempted to speak, though no sound came out. His grip weakened as the light left his eyes, staring blankly before slumping to the ground, dead.

For a long while, Ranna stared, struggling to process what had happened. She then rounded on Quarra. "You killed him! Why?"

"He wanted to be free from pain. I wanted to use my lightsaber on someone. It's a win-win!" She said with a smile. "Why, was there something we could have gotten out of him alive?"

"What's wrong with you?" Ranna shouted.

Quarra's smile vanished quickly, and Ranna balked as her red eyes glowed slightly. " _Diable su th'zioplys!"_

"What?" Ranna questioned.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?! What worth was that pathetic _grotthu_ to you?!"

"We could have helped him!"

"Clearly your years of servitude have addled you to how the world works. You'll never get anywhere in life if you let yourself be held back by lesser beings. This _grotthu_ was weak, and he got what he deserved for trying to play at being Sith. The weakness of inferiors will do nothing but drag you down if you don't put them in their place. Look at his wounds. They're fresh. Whatever did that can't be far behind. If we wasted our time dragging him back to the med-center, for Force only knows _what_ reason, we'd be letting this fools weakness drag us down with him. We will become Sith! He is beneath our concern!"

"That's..." Ranna struggled to find the words to say, though not from sorrow. Memories of her time as a slave began resurfacing.

Surprisingly, Quarra gave a smug grin. "Is that anger I sense? Maybe even hatred? Good, use it! There may be hope for you as a Sith yet! Now get moving, Blue. We have trials to complete!"

* * *

True to Quarra's word, it didn't take long to find what had attacked the acolyte. As they continued through the tomb, Ranna's blossoming force abilites managed to detect something.

"I feel something." Ranna said.

"I feel it to." Quarra said.

"It's... hunger?" Ranna said. "I feel an endless hunger. It's coming closer!"

To her surprise, Quarra began laughing. "Finally!"

She ignited her lightsaber, while directing the torch droid higher into the air, illuminating a greater area.

"What's coming?" Ranna asked as she activated her training saber.

Quarra said nothing, and Ranna could see the savage grin on her face.

She felt the hunger approaching, along with a constant _tak tak tak_ sound, like something sharp hitting against the stone.

Then, it came into view. A massive creature with a long red worm-like body carried by numerous legs ending in razor sharp tips. It's head was just a giant gaping maw lined with row after row of sharp deadly teeth constantly moving and grinding. The monster gave a shriek and Ranna heard more of the _tak tak tak_ sounds signifying more of the creatures as they skittered forwards, crawled down the walls, and leaped from unseen balconies.

"K'lor'slugs!" Quarra said, laughing.

"K'lor'slugs?" Ranna was shocked. These looked nothing like the cute Dejarik piece. "There's a lot of them..."

"You're afraid. Use it! Fear leads to anger! Anger leads to hatred! Hatred leads to power!" Quarra leaped forwards, lightsaber held high. " _ _Midwan nesti asha_!"  
_ _  
_She brought her blade down, cleaving slug in half and filling the air with the scent of burning flesh. She began cleaving through more of them. Her lightsaber was little more than a red streak as it carved through the slugs. Even with so many of them dying, the k'lor'slugs still surged forwards in blind hunger. When Quarra was surrounded she struck out with the force, sending slugs flying backwards, or leaped over their heads to a better position.

Ranna was so awed by her combat prowess that it was only by the warning from the Force that she avoided a bite from a slug near her. Ranna dove away, and rolled attempting to rise to her feet, but stumbling. She managed to fight her footing and then thrust her training saber into the slug. The electricity cloaking the blade discharged into the slug, stunning it.

Ranna dodged the claw swing of another slug and slashed. The blade didn't go very deep, but the electricity did it's work, disabling the slug. Ranna repeated the process, dodging the claws and bites, and striking with quick thrusts when an opening presented itself, wearing down the size of the swarm... or horde... _Come to think of it, what do you call a group of K'lor'slugs?_ Ranna found herself wondering.

Unfortunately, the stray thought came at the wrong time. One of the slugs talons cut into her arm, making her drop the saber. When she attempted to go for it more slugs approached, stepping over it.

When she backed away to reassess her position, she saw Quarra perform a mighty leap over her head, into the swarm of slugs, whereupon they were dissected it short order. After clearing a circle, Quarra held out her hand, and three slugs were sent flying to crash into a wall with enough force to splatter them. She then lifted one slug and threw it into another, both of them impaling each other with their talons. More approached her where upon they were sliced into chunks while Quarra laughed. She then held out her hand again. This time bolts of violet lightning were disgorged from her hands arcing towards the slugs, causing them to convulse while also finishing off the ones Ranna had stunned.

Quarra threw her lightsaber and the one remaining slug, slicing it in half, before sheathing her weapon with a satisfied sigh.

"Well that was fun, wouldn't you say, Blue?"

Clutching her wounded arm, Ranna walked over to where her training blade had fallen. She reattatched it to her back and turned to Quarra. "Kolto. Now."

Quarra gave an amused smile. "Sure. _You're_ worthy of it at least."

She opened a pouch from her belt and tossed Ranna a small container. Ranna opened it and poured some of the kolto within over her wound. Within seconds the wound was already healing. The sensation was pleasant, and when the process was finished, not even a scar was left behind. She tossed the medpack back to Quarra and the two of them continued through the tunnels.

* * *

As they continued, Ranna started hearing the whispers again. She kept herself aware of her present, attempting to shut them out, but they journeyed deeper into the tomb, they continued, growing louder and louder, until she could start to make out words.

 _Meistras..._

 _Meistras..._

 _Kruso Meistras.._.

 _Atsiklatul negu tave Meistras..._

 _Krusho tave Qyâsik Zvelgtiut..._

Ranna drew her training saber again, gripping and fondling the hilt, attempting to ground herself. The chanting continued, growing louder and louder. She could now hear footsteps, shouts and blasters...

Ranna suddenly halted. As she listened again, she heard the sound of more blaster shots. They were real. They were definitely real.

"Do you hear that?" She asked Quarra.

"Yeah, sounds like fun! Let's see!" Quarra rushed forwards, and down a flight of stairs, with Ranna close behind, still perturbed by her companions definition of "fun".

The two of them entered into a larger room that was much better lit. In front of them was a group of imperial troopers crouched behind a barricade, firing at K'lor'slugs that approached.

Upon approaching, one of the soldiers turned around. He glanced at both of the girls, and then removed his helmet, revealing a middle aged Human male beneath.

"Greetings, my lords." He said, calmly as he bowed. The solders not near the barricade did the same. "Sergent Cormun, Fifth Infantry company, Korriban regiment. Can I- can I speak to you?"

Ranna paused. Their actions sent a flood of conflicting feelings to her. Their attention made her feel awkward and uncomfortable. Their bowing made her confused, though the clear reverence towards her was pleasant, though she felt ashamed afterwards. What had she done to earn such respect?

"Speak freely." Quarra said.

"You're part of the new group of acolytes that arrived?"

"Yes. Here to complete our initial trials. What's going on here?"

"As aspiring Sith, the two of you should think not only of impressing the overseers but building your ties to the military."

Quarra nodded. "What did you have in mind?"

"I'm here commanding a hard target mission to exterminate K'lor'slugs here in the tombs. They're horrific things, mouths bigger than your head."

"We've noticed." Quarra said.

"I've lost three squads of good men fighting them." Cormun said, shivering slightly as he did so. "They... come in packs, they'll just swallow a man whole."

He gestured to a partially digested corpse and Ranna winced at the thought of what the poor man must have gone through.

"I'm sorry." Ranna said.

Cormun looked somewhat confused at Ranna's response, and Quarra briefly glared at her before continuing.

"Your men clearly need better training if that's the case."

"Those were battle-hardened men. There's just so damn many of them. These things breed so fast. By they time we exterminate one swarm, it seems two more have taken it's place. There's no way to wipe them out conventionally, so we started targeting their egg chambers. However, the slugs went _insane_."

Everyone paused as a large number of ravenous K'lor'slugs charged towards the barricade, only barely stopped before they got too close by a flurry of blaster fire.

"Were fighting a losing battle down here. We managed to plant explosive charges into the main chamber, but we were driven off before we could detonate them, and the man with the remote trigger was eaten. We'll have to set them manually now. However, that's where you come in! With two Sith, we can fight our way back into the chambers, and detonate the charges! We'll even pay you for this!"

"Sounds like a good plan, Sergent." Quarra said.

"Excellent!" Cormun gestured to three soldiers. "You three, go with these Sith!"

The soldiers saluted, and took up positions behind Quarra as she leaped over the barricade, immediately cleaving through any K'lor'slugs in her way, while the Ranna and the troopers picked off any survivors.

As they fought their way towards the nest, Ranna took notice of how natural Quarra seemed to be as a leader. She gave orders with authority and confidence, and the troopers carried them out without question.

 _Sith are leaders._ Ranna thought. Were she to graduate the academy, she would be a full fledged Sith. She'd have soldiers, droids, ships, and more under her command. It was a notion that both excited and worried her.

"We're here." Quarra said. They entered into one of the burial chambers, and Ranna almost vomited at the stench. The room had been converted entirely into a breeding ground. Young K'lor'slugs fed off the corpses other slugs, in mindless hunger. Sarcophagi had been cracked open and the preserved corpses within dragged out to be eaten, while still decomposing corpses of captured troopers and slaves were currently being eaten, their remains scattered around the room, rotting. Slime, blood, and waste covered the entire area. It coated the walls, and dripped from the ceiling. The slugs payed it no heed, wading through the waist deep muck on the ground to find more food, or lay more eggs. The eggs were gathered into multiple piles all throughout the room, in countless amounts, quivering.

True to Cormun's word, the charges were placed near the nests, ready to be exploded, though their view was blocked by too many moving K'lor'slugs.

Not missing a beat, as the K'lor'slugs moved to defend their nests, Quarra shouted. "Incendiaries at the ready! Throw!"

The soldiers threw grenades into the room, in the midst of the charging slugs, where they exploded in a searing burst of fire, blackening the room with smoke and filling the air with the scent of burning flesh.

"Concussion grenade ready! Throw!" At her order, one of the troopers threw a different grenade into the room. The blast created a burst of expanding air, clearing away all the smoke, revealing the destruction that had been wrought, with burning, writhing K'lor'slugs. Also, now there was an unobstructed view of the explosives, which Quarra took immediate advantage of. Reaching out with the Force, she pressed the switches on the explosives, setting them to go off.

More slugs began pouring into the room from unseen entrances, though it was hopeless for them now. The group fled, and behind them there was a deafening explosion that resonated throughout the entire tomb.

The trip back to Cormun was relatively uneventful, the number of K'lor'slugs having been vastly reduced. The few who attacked them were easily picked off.

"Good work, my lords!" Cormun said when they arrived. "I could hear the explosion from here! The credits have already been deposited in your account. On behalf of the Imperial Military, we thank you."

Quarra said nothing, and continued down the path she had been following.

Ranna, feeling awkward and leaving without saying anything managed to force out an "It was an honor." and then left the confused Cormun behind her.

* * *

They didn't have to walk for very long, as it turned out. Only a few slugs remained, moving erratically through the tombs, and were easily dealt with, and so things returned to the silence that Ranna dreaded.

To her surprise, it was broken up by Quarra, who halted at an intersection.

"So, Blue, I didn't bother asking before, but what's your trial?"

"I have to find this hermit called Spindrall?" She said.

"Huh, Spindrall." Quarra said.

"What?"

"He's kinda an oddball among the Sith, from what I've heard. Deliberately lives in these tombs and almost never comes out."

"The Overseer called him a lunatic."

"I'd say so. The academy sends failed acolytes to him. Few ever return, and those that do never speak of what happens down there."

Ranna paled.

"And on that note, this is where we must part ways Blue."

Ranna's heart sunk further. Despite how distasteful Quarra was, she wasn't blind to the fact that the skilled acolyte was the only reason Ranna was still alive.

"Why?"

"My trials down a different path. I have to find some old Sith warblade. Don't see why I need it, but whatever." Quarra began walking off. "Spindrall lives down that way! Have fun!"

* * *

Beyond the heightened danger and crushing solitude, the more pressing concern was that Quarra had taken torch droid with her, leaving Ranna in darkness lit only by the light of her electroblade. It wasn't long before the voices returned, in greater number. Any ability to identify individual words was lost among the sheer number of voices. Ranna tried everything she could to block them out, but they only became louder, and louder. She felt hands grasping at her, pulling at her clothes, and her hair. She felt breath against her ears. She began to feel colder and disoriented.

The whispers continued, drowning out the sound of Ranna's footsteps.

Ranna closed her eyes, trying to get her bearings. When she opened them, she saw a decayed hand grasp over her face, covering her mouth. She pushed free and screamed, though nobody answered her cries. She attempted to move, only for hands to grab her ankles and trip her, sending her sprawling to the ground, her electroblade clattering down near her. From her perspective on the floor she saw bare, dirty feet in front of her. She tried to look up, only for her head to be forced to the ground.

The whispers grew even louder, drowning out the sound of Ranna's screams.

She felt hands running along the entire length of her body, squeezing, pinching, clawing. She managed to free her hand, and drag her self forwards on the ground, attempting to escape. It didn't work. She felt teeth biting into her legs and she could no longer move them. She felt hands claw into her torso, and it went numb. Something covered her eyes, and she could no longer see. Something covered her ears, and she could no longer hear. She flailed about with her arms, desperate for anything to grab on to.

The whispers grew even louder, drowning out the sound of Ranna's thoughts.

Blind, she managed to grasp onto the hilt of her electroblade, and activated it. The electricity crackled along the length, dimly lighting up the hallway. Ranna quickly sat up to find that she was alone and unharmed. She tentatively stood up, keeping the blade in a defensive position.

The whispers began starting again. Ranna took off, running down the hallway. As she ran, she saw a light, and made straight towards it. Upon entering the room, the whispers were silenced. Ranna breathed a sigh of relief, before taking stock of where she was.

She was in another tomb, though this one appeared to have been converted into some sort of training area. Practice dummies were scattered about the room, while hooded figures wielding training sabers struck at them. Some turned to look briefly at Ranna as she entered, leering at her with yellow eyes, but most just focused on their training.

Beyond the training area was a staircase leading to some sort of altar. Kneeling in front of the alter was another figure in brown robes. Ranna walked up to them, noting the lightsaber at their belt.

"Slave, welcome to my humble hole. You are here for your trial, I presume? Come to learn the ways of the Sith from a doddering old man in a tomb?" Spindrall turned around, to look at Ranna. He was an elderly Human, heavily wrinkled, with gray hair and beard. However most notably, his eyes were a normal shade of brown instead of the unnatural yellow or red that Harkun and Quarra had. "And hopefully return to your master with the mark of my approval?"

"Yes, my lord." Ranna said.

"Of course you are. I know the way of things on the surface. They come into these tombs for power because they sense that they hold the secrets of the Dark Side." Spindrall said, with some weariness, Ranna noticed. "And they do. But before I pass judgement either way, you must pass a trial of blood. Survive, and I will teach you what I know."

The old man returned to his kneeling position before the altar, which Ranna noted was covered in old bloodstains.

"What's the trial?" She asked. Spindrall didn't respond.

Ranna walked down the stairs into the training area, looking at the other acolytes as they practiced their abilities on the dummies. However, they soon stopped, and as one turned towards her.

Ranna's senses immediately picked up on what was happening, and guessed that this is what Spindrall meant. She raised her training saber as the other acolytes drew close towards her, weapons drawn as well.

They formed a circle around her, and Ranna's experience with fights against other slaves told her to get all of them on one side. Two acolytes moved towards her. She ducked beneath the swing of one and circled around him, striking him in the leg with her own saber. The electricity discharged, both numbing and burning, simulating the loss of a limb to a lightsaber. He crumpled to the ground, moaning in pain.

The other attacker rushed towards her, and his blow was blocked by her own blade, with a crackling sound. The two exchanged blows, testing each others guard. The acolyte then attempted a thrust. Ranna knocked it aside and then kicked him in the shins. He stumbled back and swore, before Ranna struck him in the arm, causing him to drop his saber, before she struck his side, sending him down next to the first acolyte.

She backed away from the fallen acolytes, catching her breath, only to find herself hurled backwards. She impacted against a dummy and knocked it over. She quickly righted herself, getting her bearings, only for a bolt of discharged lightning to strike her square in the chest. She cried out and fell to the ground in pain, convulsing. Before the force wielding acolytes could strike again, Ranna rolled away, hiding behind the dummy. The other two acolytes leaped at her.

As one landed, Ranna swept her leg, sending him to the ground, where she struck him in the chest with her saber. He went limp. She avoided the other acolyte's swing with help from the force, and stood up. The two exchanged blows, before Ranna dodged to the side, putting her opponent in the path of another bolt of lighting. She stumbled, only to be struck in the neck by the saber and went down.

Ranna then held up her training saber as one of the two remaining acolytes discharged more electricity at her. The blade absorbed the lightning, and Ranna rushed forwards, striking her with the training saber. She then turned to the last remaining acolyte, who raised his blade just in time to block. She pushed forwards, knocking him off balance, before striking him on the arm, and then leg.

The fight over, she leaned over to catch her breath, and surveyed the acolytes, all moaning in pain.

She heard footsteps behind her, and the sound of applause. She quickly turned to see Spindrall walking down the stairs towards her. He stopped applauding and took in the aftermath of the fight.

"Excellent. These former acolytes wanted nothing more than to gain a second chance at glory by killing you and earn their place as Sith. But your desire proved stronger."

Ranna looked at the acolytes.

"They fought well." She said. "What now?"

Spindrall gestured towards the fallen acolytes. "Why not kill them? Let their blood become the mantle of your victory!"

"What? The fights over! I don't want to kill them!"

"You wish to become Sith? Surely, mercy is a weakness to be purged?" Spindrall asked. "Why spare them?"

Ranna looked over the acolytes, still moaning on the ground. She tried to reach out with the Force. To sense them. Helpless as they were, it was easy. "They're alone, like me. They don't have anywhere to go. Becoming Sith was all they had left. Taking any more from them would be meaningless."

Spindrall seemed intrigued. "And you stand by this answer?"

"Yes." Ranna answered. As she did so, she felt more calm and at peace.

Spindrall held out his hand, and she felt something flow from him into the acolytes. The got up, groaning in pain.

"Get out, all of you, never return!"

The acolytes nodded and limped out. Spindrall turned back to Ranna.

"Interesting choice. Well done. But you are not Sith yet." Spindrall said. He then headed back towards the altar. Ranna followed. He stood in front of her and began to speak.

 _"Peace is a lie, there is only passion._

 _Through passion I gain strength._

 _Through strength I gain power._

 _Through power I gain victory._

 _Through victory, my chains are broken._

 _The Force shall free me."_

"This is the Sith Code. Commit it to your heart, and you will have the strength to succeed. Do you understand?"

"Yes... I think." Ranna said. "I must use my drive and emotions to grow strong?"

"You have passed your first trial. But do not be timid. Humility is the attitude of a slave, not a Sith."

"Thank you, my Lord." Ranna said.

"Now go. Return to Harkun and nurture your hatred of him. Use your fear of him to grow stronger. He may raise his fist to strike, but it is Zash who determines where the blow will land.

"You know them?" Ranna asked.

"Yes. Both came through here in their time, though they have gone their separate paths since. You have my judgement. Now go, and leave me to my rest." He handed her a small stone tablet.

"Thank you, my Lord."

"You will seek me out again." Spindrall said, as he returned to his meditation. Ranna severely doubted his words, but said nothing.

She left the chamber, and reentered the darkness of the tomb.

* * *

Her journey was thankfully short, and the whispers remained at a very low volume. She ran into Quarra heading towards the tomb's exit, now with an ornate looking sword slung over her back.

"Hey, Blue, so you passed your trial too? How'd it go?"

Ranna gave a very brief description of Spindrall's trial.

"You got to fight actual people? You're the lucky one."

 _I wouldn't exactly call that luck._ Ranna thought.

"All I got to fight were some old droids. Droids don't scream, it's boring! And all for what? An old sword!" She drew the blade, and pointed it at Ranna's face. Now acquainted with weapons being pointed at her (the thought of which was kind of unnerving itself) she remained calm.

"It's a rather nice looking blade." Ranna said, inspecting it.

"Yeah, but why would I need that fossil when I have this!" She said, gesturing to the lightsaber on her belt. She then paused. "Heck, you can have it, for all I care."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I just have to show it to Overseer Tremel first." Quarra returned the blade to it's sheathe, and then started walking again.

"So, Blue, what's your story?"

"My... story."

"Yeah, how'd you get sent to the academy."

"I was a slave, discovered I had the force, attacked the master, got sent to the academy." Ranna really didn't like thinking about it, besides, this was clearly just an excuse for Quarra to talk about herself. "What about you?

"Me? I come from a long line of powerful Sith, going all the way back to at least the time of this tomb's namesake." She said with a smile. "And yes, me being here is just a formality. I'm already stronger than any acolyte here. My grandfather, Darth Baras wants the prestige before I become his apprentice."

Quarra began talking about her family history, and Ranna stopped paying attention, thinking about the future. As they walked, she saw another source of light. Up a few flights of stairs, the acolytes found the exit to the tomb.

Ranna walked out, abandoning the cold chill of the tomb, and welcoming the heat of the desert. After her time in the darkness, even moonlight felt energizing and uplifting. She took a deep breath and relaxed.

"And there it is!" Quarra said.

Ranna looked forwards once her eyes adjusted. Up close, the Sith Academy was much more intimidating, the massive pyramidal structure looming over the Valley of the Dark Lords. The path lead straight forwards, towards the massive ramp leading into the Academy. The overhang over the ramp was held up by two pillar like statues of slaves straining to lift the pyramid over their backs. The Sith were nothing if not consistent.

It was much more active here as well. As the two of them approached the Academy, Ranna noticed many more people here. Acolytes entered and exited the school, while troopers stood guard at entrances and exits.

Walking up the entrance, Ranna felt small again, but in a different way. In the tombs she felt the weight of danger and fear. Here she felt the weight of possibility. She was about to begin her true training as Sith.

She turned to look at Quarra, only to see her fellow acolyte had vanished. Breathing a sigh of relief, Ranna entered the academy alone.

The main hall of the academy was dominated my a massive 4 sided monolith. Two sides of the spike were carved in the shape of wailing souls, while the other two had carvings in the Sith language. Though she couldn't read it, judging by the pattern and form, it was the Sith Code.

"You made it!" Ranna was startled from her analysis and jumped to see someone behind her. The acolyte who had attempted to joke with her upon arrival on Korriban was now standing next to her.

"Yes, you too, I see..." Truthfully, Ranna had completely forgotten about her, and now felt ashamed for doing so.

"Thank goodness. I was worried I wasn't going to have anyone to talk to!" She said, smiling. "I'm Kory, by the way!"

"Ranna."

"Well, let's not keep Harkun waiting." Kory said. "If we only knew where to go..."

" _Harkun's classroom. Room 2B-9._ " Answered a protocol droid as it walked past.

"Well that was convenient!" Kory said. "C'mon, let's go!"

* * *

The second floor room was not at all difficult to find, and upon entering, Ranna was rather surprised. The room resembled more a lecture hall one might see at a university, with rows of seats.

All the other students were currently gathered in the large area at the center of the room, standing before Harkun.

"Ah, and they're here. Just like slaves to be the stragglers!" There was some chuckling from the other acolytes, which made her blush. Harkun then gestured to the Pureblood. "Not at all like Ffon Althe here! This is real Sith strength! He will tear you apart and crush your bones! Look on him. No connections left in the world but pure Sith blood! This is Lord Zash's future apprentice, not filth like you!"

Some would be uncomfortable or awkward in the face of blatant favoritism like this. Ffon simply crossed his arms and smiled smugly. Ranna could even feel the arrogance bleeding off this man.

"Hello Ffon! Nice to meet you!"

Everything in the room paused, and Ranna turned to see Kory, now blushing heavily with shame while even Harkun stared at her in disbelief. The Overseer sighed, and quickly regained composure. "Case in point."

"Er..." Kory backed away, while the other students laughed again. Ranna stepped near her and held her hand. Kory smiled. She almost missed when Harkun began speaking again.

"You're rooms have already been assigned to you! You will have the night to get situated in your new residences. Return here at eight sharp! Dismissed! Except for you Kory. You stay behind for a moment."

The students left the classroom, Ranna looked behind her as she left, seeing Kory approach Harkun and feeling nervous.

She decided to put it out of her head. She had made it to the academy. She was okay for now. Ranna followed the directions of another protocol droid standing outside the class, and entered into her dormitory, hoping that Kory might show up soon after her. It was a meager room consisting of a bunk bed, a pair of shelves, and a pair of desks.

Ranna walked over to the bed. And a massive metal object was jammed into the wall near her. She jumped back in shock, before realizing that the object was a sword. Her heart sunk.

"Hey, Blue! Looks like were rooming together!"

* * *

 _Cue Darth Vader theme..._

 _And that's the second chapter. Surprisingly, a lot to cover here. The tomb took up a lot more than I thought it would. I at one point considered dividing this into two chapters, but nowhere seemed like a good break point. Anyways, I had a lot of fun writing this. I tried to give the viewpoint of someone who's been a Sith all their life in Quarra. Tell me what you think of her! Also, Sith tombs would totally be freaky places, especially ones filled with giant man eating worms._

 _Thanks for reading so far! Please leave a review or comment. Feedback really does help me learn._

 _~Dragonexx_


	3. Korriban High

**Sith: Shatterpoint**  
 **Chapter 3**  
 **Korriban High  
**

* * *

This class was full of nothing but scrubs, Quarra decided. She was starting to question her grandfather's wisdom in insisting that she graduate from Korriban. Sure there was the prestige, but surely there was more power she could amass if she just skipped this boring step. At the moment, she sat at the edge of the Academy sparring room watching as other Acolytes practiced in the arena. It was almost painful to watch, and she felt fairly insulted that the academy would allow Force-sensitives of such low station on holy Korriban.

She felt a slight twinge of guilt at questioning the dictates of the Sith Emperor, but seeing the highly disappointing results before her were hard to argue with. True many Sith had died in the Great War and needed to be replaced, but there were other academies where the inferior Force-sensitives could be sent, for the Force's sake. Gamorr, perhaps, where they would be made into marauders, and channel the Dark Side into a battle fury as they cut down enemies. Become the _Massassi,_ no need to think, just take orders from superior Sith.

She watched as one of the acolytes disarmed his opponent, and disabled her with a strike to the arm and leg. The battle concluded, and Quarra could easily sense that the acolyte felt accomplished at this victory, a revelation that filled her anger. _The fool thought this accomplishment was meaningful!_

The acolyte was currently discussing the battle with the academy Blademaster. Though Overseer Rance hid his thoughts well, his slumping shoulders and loose posture gave away that he was also disappointed in the performance of the new acolytes. _Is this what the Empire's fallen to?_

She stood up, and with a gesture, a training saber from the a rack flew over to her hands. She wasn't allowed to use her actual lightsaber in the academy (though it still never left her person and was in her sleeve), but she wouldn't need it for what she was about to do.

She looked about the sparring room. Several students were chatting and gossiping with each other, discussing the latest holo-dramas, music or fashion. Others were on their datapads, browsing the holonet or playing inane games.

This was disgusting. Her first instinct (as always) was to simply kill them all, but even though these _grotthu_ defiled the name of Sith, she figured she'd receive _some_ repercussions, even considering her family. Though as she looked over her classmates, she allowed the images of what she'd love to do to them run through her mind. The brown haired girl chatting with some sort of alien freak that looked like a melted candle (a Sullustan, maybe). A swipe from her lightsaber would behead both of them. Force Lightning would kill the group of three boys discussing the results of the latest smashball game. A shove with the Force would smash open the Rattataki's head against the wall he leaned on, and then she would throw her saber, impaling the boy in the arena...

She let these thoughts run through her mind over and over, drawing power from them as she walked into the arena. Anger. Hate. Power. Heads turned. It was only natural. She hadn't advertised her pure heritage, though she would still naturally draw awe from others. Long luxurious silver hair... Perfectly sensual body... Elegant and commanding presence... Even if her station wasn't made known, _grotthu_ knew when they were in the presence of their betters. An air of mystery suited her perfectly.

She stepped into the arena towards the boy, just as he turned back from the blademaster. He had a mess of dark hair and brown eyes, and was slightly muscular, though still slender. He immediately began looking her up and down. Though his lust for her was flattering, it was also annoying in that he was focusing on her looks before he'd defeated her (not that that would ever happen).

The boy gave a cocky grin as he dropped into a clumsy Shii-Cho opening stance. "Don't worry sweetheart! I'll go easy on you!" He said in an accent that Quarra was fairly surprised to hear. A Corelian accent? Her disgust grew. The Empire allowed scum from Republic worlds now?

Though Quarra preferred Djem-So as her fighting style (and had planned on breaking his spine), a new plan formed in her head. She entered the opening stance of Makashi, holding saber middle guard in one hand, one foot forwards. The boy paced around her, that cocky grin still on his face.

"So, you're pretty cute. After this, how's about you and-" Mid sentance he leaped into attack, attempting to catch her off guard. Quarra was mildly impressed, though easily foresaw the maneuver coming through the Force. He focused too much on the single action.

With an easy flick of her wrist, she disarmed the blade from his hand. Before he could react, she then proceeded to kick him in the groin as hard as she could. The boy lifted off the ground slightly from the impact. Before he could even scream, she had struck him in each of his four limbs with her training saber, disabling each limb. The boy collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain, his limbs useless.

The feeling of victory wasn't really that satisfying, though his humiliation was. Heck, why not indulge a little? She then kicked the boy in the stomach, causing him to cough up blood and sending him rolling across the room. As she did so, she released the Dark Side aura she'd been suppressing since she arrived at the Academy. The other students, already dropping silent after the sudden defeat, balked as the fear overwhelmed them. The boy screamed even louder. A red stain was forming in his groin.

A pair of medical droids rushed into the room, and quickly placed the boy on a stretcher, to Quarra's slight disappointment. He'd probably be fine in a day or two, which was a shame, a _grotthu_ pretending to be a Sith deserved no legacy.

She could sense the Blademaster's approval. Without a word, Quarra tossed the training saber behind her and strolled out of the room. Class probably wasn't over, though it mattered little. She was certain to get top marks with that display. Sticking around any further today was pointless. Instead, she made her way to the mess hall, the prospect of food much more appealing.

* * *

This is how it feels to be Quarra:

As you progress through the halls of the academy, your anger grows. So many of the acolytes you pass by are so weak and undisciplined, and it's a straight offense that such low-blooded scum are allowed on holy Korriban. Even worse are the feelings you draw from them. Many see becoming Sith as a casual venture, or something that will be fun and exciting. How insulting! You have to restrain the urge to cut them all down.

The feeling becomes harder to suppress as you enter the mess hall, and see all the acolytes engaging in more casual conversation, which irks you even further. Fear. Anger. Hatred. These are the tools of the Sith. But extending your senses, you detect joviality, camaraderie, optimism. It disgusts you.

You pool your hatred for now. Perhaps you can kill a few of them later when they step away from the academy. It could easily be made to look like they died to hazards. Probably get you more top marks as well...

The closer you get to them, the worse the desire becomes, though you again manage to keep your impulses under control. You grab a plate of unappealing looking food and look to find a table.

* * *

It did not take Quarra long to find one that appealed to her, one with Ranna at it. And by the Force she really would not have lasted long in the academy without Quarra graciously taking her under her wing. Her history as a slave could not be more apparent. The girl sat alone in a corner of the mess hall, some distance from other seats. She sat hunched over her tray in a somewhat protective manner, and was almost wolfing down her food, every so often glancing up when someone moved near her.

Quarra quickly took a seat next to her, before she noticed, and laughed internally when Ranna noticed her and took a subtle defensive posture around her tray, tensing. Even more amusing was the likelihood that these habits were entirely unconscious, developed from years as a slave, when one might have to plausibly defend their meager food from other hungry slaves.

"So, Blue, how'd your meeting with the Overseer go?" Quarra had to resist the urge to laugh again, as she sensed Ranna's resentment. She clearly hated that nickname, but was too intimidated by Quarra to fight back. She'd make the perfect underling. "I hear Harkun can be-"

Unfortunately, Quarra was interrupted by someone else sitting down next to her. Turning to the offender, she saw a red-headed girl about the same age as them.

"Hi Ranna. Good to see you again!"

"Blue, who is this?" Quarra asked, her annoyance with her fellow students growing.

"Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners. My name is Kory. Ranna and I share the same Overseer." She held out her hand towards Quarra, who had to resist the urge to crush it, instead hesitantly shaking hands.

"It would seem Ranna and I are sharing the same the same room."

"Oh how lovely! One degree of separation and all that!" Kory said. And now Quarra wanted to strangle her.

"Yes... lovely." Quarra said, with measured breath.

"I wasn't aware that Ranna had any other acquaintances. We've both just arrived. Oh wait, I remember seeing you two exiting the tomb of that one old sith... Ajax?"

"Ajunta Pall." Quarra hissed, giving up on hiding the venom in her voice.

Unfortunately, Kory was persistently oblivious. "Well, it's nice to have more friends. Perhaps you could get a transfer into our class!"

Ranna, who had been silently consuming her meal during the exchange, suddenly snorted into the blue milk she was drinking. "N-no. I don't... think that would be wise."

"For once, I agree with you, Blue." Quarra said. She was silently grateful to Ranna for that comment, though the realization of that angered her. She had been very tempted to just put Kory in her place here and now, but a blatant display like that in a public area wouldn't have gone well. "And on that note, I'm going to leave before as I fear your naivete is contagious. Heck, I'll even trade rooms with you so I don't have to deal with Blue on a daily basis either."

Quarra rose, to find another place to eat, preferably away from the mess hall entirely.

* * *

"What was that about?" Kory asked. "You have some weird friends!"

Ranna took another bite Tuk'ata meat. "She isn't. Really."

"No she really is kind of weird."

"I mean friend."

"But you-"

"Mutual survival. It's very dangerous down there. She's not very likable." Ranna said.

"Ah. I'm sure she'll come around."

Ranna continued eating in silence, before speaking again. "You seem a lot more upbeat than you were when we first arrived."

"No reason not to. I feel. I admit I was scared when I first got here, and my first trial had me narrowly escaping tomb looters, but now that that's all past and I'm here in the academy, I'm kinda looking forwards to learning how to use the Force and becoming a Sith! Aren't you?"

Ranna paused again. "Not sure."

"Why?" Kory asked.

Ranna struggled to articulate an answer. She had her issues with the empire, but she wasn't sure if it was a good idea to discuss them here. Instead after a few more bites, she relented. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh, okay." Thankfully Kory had enough tact to know when to stop. They finished the rest of the meal quietly.

* * *

The two stepped out of the mess hall only to find a crowd of acolytes gathering in the entrance hall. They were forming a circle around some sort of commotion, and the crowd was so thick that neither of them could see through it.

"What's going on?" Kory asked, straining to see over the mob and failing.

"There's still some space on the balcony up there." Ranna noticed. "Let's hurry!"

The two rushed up the staircase and managed to get a view of the events below. In the clearing in the center, a single acolyte had his training saber drawn and activated, his face one of pure terror with clenched teeth and wide eyes, rapidly glancing around. He had dark shadows underneath his eyes and actually looked exausted. Two Sith Lords slowly approached him.

"Entertaining, isn't it?" She heard a voice behind her, and realized to her chagrin that Quarra was back.

"What's happening. What are they doing?"

Quarra laughed. "A perfect microcosm of my feelings today. A weakling unable to handle the dark side of the Force. He is unfit to be Sith, and gets what he deserves. Observe."

Ranna turned back to the entrance. The Sith Lords approached calmly, arms crossed. The acolyte brandished his training saber at them. "Stay away!"

"Put the weapon down boy." Said one of the Sith, sounding more annoyed than concerned.

"No! They're plotting against me! They're going to murder me! Stay away from me!" He swung the weapon, but hit nothing but air.

"Your treading on thin ice child. Do not try our patience. Put the weapon down." Said the other Sith.

"No! I won't let them kill me!" The acolyte charged towards one of the Sith, and brought his blade down on them.

With a casual motion, the Sith Lord grabbed the blade in his bare hand, seemingly unaffected by the electricity. With another motion, the he drew his own lightsaber and quickly cut the acolyte in half.

Some in the crowd of observers, including Kory, gasped in shock. Some looked nauseous or afraid. Others, like Quarra, laughed.

"An excellent show." She said, applauding as she walked away. Ranna realized she had been gripping the banister in a white knuckled grip and let go, struggling to remain calm. Kory had her hands over her mouth in shock.

"Someone get a cleaning droid." Said the Sith, deactivating his lightsaber and casually walking away.

The rest of the observers gradually left, leaving the corpse of the failed acolyte behind.

* * *

 _Scheduling? What's that? Anyways, I'm back with another update. Because it's a video game with a large scope, things proceed at a much much faster pace, with most of your time at the academy glossed over. Skipping past that in this fic is I feel a missed opportunity. Thus, more description of academy life, and what it's like for teenagers and young adults learning to be Sith._

 _~Dragonexx_


	4. How to Train Your Sith

**Sith: Rebirth**  
 **Chapter 4**  
 **How to Train Your Sith  
**

* * *

 _A muddy hand, rotting and slick, reached out, grabbing Ranna around the throat, cutting off her breathing. She was forced into the dirt. She struggled, though she couldn't get a grip on her attackers slippery flesh. She punched and kicked, though the strikes were completely ineffective. She attempted to bite her attackers arm, but couldn't reach. She couldn't make a sound to cry for help._

 _Her strength began failing her, she found it difficult to move her limbs, and her vision blurred, obscuring her assailants face. However, what she did see terrified her. The other hand, pointing at her with absolute accusation._

 _" **Your fault!** "_

* * *

Ranna shot awake with a jolt, and was very grateful she didn't have the bottom bunk. She sat there, in the bed, breathing heavily, and focusing on calming herself down. Her first motions were awkward and tentative, but she managed to grip the rails, and climb down the ladder. Checking the holo-clock, it was 7, an hour before lessons started.

 _It's all in the past._ Ranna repeated to herself, in her head.

She heard a stirring behind her, and jumped, only to realize that it was just Kory waking up.

"Good morning." Ranna said, as Kory rose.

"Yeah..." Kory said, with none of her normal upbeat attitude.

"Are you okay?" Ranna asked, though she could guess what was on her mind.

Kory paused, partially to yawn, but Ranna could guess it was also to gather her thoughts. "I'm not a morning person..."

"That's clearly not what's up." Ranna said, though inwardly, she wondered if she should be pressing this.

Kory paused again, looking down. "What happened yesterday..."

"Yeah... Welcome to the Sith, I guess. They're known for being cruel." Honestly, she wasn't sure what to say.

"It seems so." Kory said, standing up. "I guess I never really thought that much about it before."

The two of them gathered their uniforms. There was an uncomfortable silence, as Ranna struggled to find the words to say.

"You live in the Empire, right?" Ranna asked.

"Yeah, but I was just a waitress on Athiss. I'd never even seen a Sith in person until one stopped by the restaurant and detected that I was Force-Sensitive."

"Oh.. I was..." Ranna trailed off, as memories began flooding back.

"A slave. That was what you were going to say, wasn't it?" Kory asked. Her expression was neutral.

Ranna remained silent. Kory looked down.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault." Ranna said, grabbing her things. "Let's go. We have things to do."

* * *

After a quick shower, dressing, and a rather bland breakfast, the two acolytes headed into class, for once, on time. Standing in the center of the room was Overseer Harkun, in conversation with Ffon. The Pureblood turned to them, and gave his customary arrogant sneer. She hesitated, and felt Kory do the same beside her.

"Humility is the attitude of a slave, not a Sith." Ranna said quietly.

"What was that?" Kory asked.

"Let's go." She stepped forwards into the classroom, as the rest of the students arrived.

"Ah, good, you're all here on time. Not that it will matter, as Ffon is the one who will become Zash's apprentice." Harkun said. "Unfortunately, as the curriculum states, you pukes have to learn how to fight. Thus, in order to handle that you're going to pair off with each other and fight. Well, not fight, more like, flailing angrily." With a condescending grin, Harkun looked over the apprentices. "I'll be making the groupings."

After looking over the acolytes, it did not take long for Harkun to pair Ffon with Ranna, and the Pureblood was as smug as ever, sneering at Ranna as he dropped into a fighting stance.

"Overseer, are you sure this opponent is worthy of my time?" Ffon asked, his tone completely mocking and condescending.

Now would be a perfect moment for a witty one-liner, but unfortunately, words didn't come to mind. They rarely did. Instead, she took a fighting stance as well. The wait wasn't long, as Ffon came rushing towards her. Their blades met in a shower of sparks, and Ranna attempted to push forwards, but was in turn pushed back. She stumbled. Ffon slashed. She barely managed to back away.

As Ranna regained her balance, Ffon attacked again. She was ready this time. He was bigger than her. Her experience with other slaves told her to use that against him. As she blocked his swings, she backed away, working on keeping her distance from him until she was able to stay out of the range of his attacks. His frustration clearly showed on his face, and it was not long after that he charged forwards. At that moment, Ranna blocked his swing and simultaneously stepped to the side. She shoved him forwards, sending him stumbling face first into a wall. As he turned around, Ranna rushed forwards, raising her blade and prepared to end the fight.

When he turned to look at her, Ranna faltered. Where his face should have been was instead, the face of a male Human, caked with mud and dirt, covered in bite marks, and bearing a hateful expression directed at Ranna. She paused, confused, and afraid, only to suddenly feel immense pain in her legs, arms and side, as her vision flashed white.

It was very brief, though when she awoke, she couldn't feel her right arm or leg, and parts of her torso were numb as well. She was lying on the ground. Standing above her was Ffon, burning with anger and hatred at the humiliation. He raised his training saber above her repeatedly brought it down on her. Ranna screamed as she was burned and then numbed. Her body flopped and writhed in pain as she struggled in vain to escape. Eventually, she was unable to move at all, though she could still feel her heart pounding as Ffon stood over her, sneering before he brought his boot down on her head, and everything went dark.

* * *

 _"I can't just leave them there!"_

 _"I gave you an order!"_

 _"They're going to die!"_

 _"They're slaves. Always plenty more. If you don't want to join them, I suggest you do as I say."_

 _"No! I'm-"_

 ** _Pain. Blinding, humiliating pain..._**

* * *

Ranna awoke, again with a jolt. Her eyesight was still blurry, but everything around her felt pleasant, and calming. She felt like she was underwater.

As her eyes adjusted, she realized she was inside a kolto tank. A breath mask was fitted over her nose and mouth.

"YOU ARE AWAKE, GOOD! _"_ Said a static-filled mechanical voice.

Standing outside the tank was a medical droid.

"DRAINING THE TANK NOW!" The droid began pushing several buttons and the kolto drained out, much to Ranna's disappointment. It was the first legitimately relaxing feeling she had had in a very long while.

Looking past the droid, she saw Kory sitting in a chair. She appeared to have fallen asleep, leading Ranna to wonder how long she had been in one. Once the tank was fully drained, the med-droid opened the door, and removed the breath mask. Ranna stepped out, feeling somewhat unsure on her feet, though she quickly found her balance. She stretched out her arms, reveling in the full sensation.

As she did so, Kory stirred. She certainly looked peaceful as she slept, and she remained fairly calm as she awoke. When she saw Ranna, she immedaitely perked up, before blushing.

"What?" Ranna asked.

"Er... you're still naked."

"I-"

"HERE IS A TOWEL!" Ranna winced at the loud voice right in her ear, but took the towel. Unfortunately, it was too small to cover much of anything, but it did help dry her off.

"So..." Kory said, trying to avoid looking at Ranna, and failing. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better." Ranna stretched out her arms. She had full sensation. She turned to notice that the medical droid was staring at her, it's eyes glowing.

"Wha-" She was interrupted again.

"I AM SCANNING YOUR VITAL SIGNS AND ACTIONS TO DETERMINE YOUR HEALTH! DO NOT SPEAK TO ME! DO NOT ALTER YOUR NORMAL BEHAVIOR IN ANY WAY! IGNORE MY PRESENCE AND GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS!"

Ranna sighed. "Where are my clothes?"

"IGNORE ME! Also they are being cleaned and disinfected."

"Splendid..."

"Are you sure your okay?" Kory said. She was clearly worried.

"Yes, relax. I can feel everything." Ranna noticed that Kory was staring, though not at her body, but her neck. Ranna was confused for a moment, before realizing that without her neckline or a band to conceal them...

She turned to a mirror, and saw the scars that formed a ring around her neck. A souvenir of the slave collar she had worn for years.

"You really were a slave." Kory said. She opened her mouth, looking like she wanted to say something else, though all she could manage to say was another apology. "I'm so sorry."

"I said don't." Ranna walked over to her and took her hands. "It's not your fault."

"But."

"It's not. Don't feel bad. It's in the past. Your not a bad person." Ranna said. Kory didn't seem to be sure. She had none of her usual energy, instead looking feeble and even afraid. "What's really bothering you?"

Kory was silent for a while. "It's our future here..."

"What about it?"

"I..." Kory began trembling. Ranna squeezed her hands, hoping to calm her down. She spoke softly. "When I was young, I was always taught to revere the Sith. That they were masters of the Force who would bring order to the galaxy. And then I found out I was Force-Sensitive. I was so excited... I wanted to be a part of that."

"Kory..." Ranna attempted to say something, but Kory continued.

"Then I arrived here on Korriban. This world is strong in the Force. It was... overwhelming and frightening. But I tried to stay optimistic. I knew the training was harsh, but I figured I'd make it through. Even my encounter with the looters in the tombs wasn't that bad. But then... yesterday..."

 _The incident in the hallway._ Ranna thought. "I was afraid as well."

"It's not just that." Kory said. "From the way the staff acted, this isn't unusual at all. What if I end up like Quarra said? What if I'm too weak to handle the Force and go insane? What if I'm to weak to complete my project?"

"Kory you're..." Ranna paused as she tried to find the words to say, but couldn't. Reassuring someone was something she had no experience with. She then realized the other thing she had said. "What project?"

"You know how after our introduction, Harkun had me stay afterwards? He gave me a project. I'm supposed to go into the tombs and activate something called a 'red engine' that belonged to Tulak Hord. It's in a very dangerous area of the tombs. And I have no idea what activating it even entails. I feel like I've already failed. What if they kill me too?"

Ranna drew Kory even closer and embraced her. "I've been a slave for over a decade. If I've learned anything from that, it's that you can't let yourself get lost to despair. Things will only get even worse if you do, as you'll get caught in a loop of depression and self-loathing. Hope. When all else is lost, hope."

Kory was silent, though Ranna could sense her easing slightly. Holding her hands again, Ranna spoke.

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion I gain strength." The words started to make more sense to her as well. "We'll get through this and become Sith. Thinking otherwise helps nothing."

"We will become Sith." Kory replied. She smiled. Though it was mostly forced, it was a start.

They suddenly heard a groaning nearby. They turned to see a Human male stirring on a bed nearby.

"Gah, can you keep it down? The droid is bad enough but..." He sat up, and stared, before a cocky grin appeared on his face. "Hello ladies..."

Though modesty hadn't been much of a priority as a slave, she was now acutely aware that she was still naked. She calmly covered herself while Kory stepped in front of her.

"YOUR CLOTHES ARE READY." Everyone flinched as the obnoxious droid returned bearing Ranna's uniform.

"Thank y-"

"IGNORE ME!"

Ranna quickly dressed. The fellow acolyte hadn't dropped his cocky grin.

"Names Vemrin." He said, in a surprisingly corellian accent. "Who might you two charming ladies be?"

"I"m Kory, and this is Ranna." She said, her chipper attitude returning, as well as her seeming obliviousness to the situation. Meanwhile, Ranna was quickly dressing.

Vemrin tried to get out of the bed, only to wince in pain as he did so.

"YOU ARE NOT YET FULLY RECOVERED! REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE!" The med droid directed Vemrin back into the bed.

"Oh no..."

"IGNORE ME!"

"But you talked to-"

"IGNORE ME!"

"Let's leave." Ranna said, now finished and hoping the droid wouldn't notice them until it was too late.

* * *

Stepping outside the infirmary revealed that it was nighttime. The academy was dark, with only a few guards and droids moving about, none of who game Kory or Ranna any trouble. It was a bit of a trek back to their dorm, but the two acolytes made it in silence.

 _Meistras_

"Did you say something?" She asked Kory.

"No?" Kory was confused.

"I heard whispers."

"I don't hear anything." Kory was even more confused.

 _Meistras..._

 _Meistras..._

 _Kruso Meistras.._.

 _Atsiklatul negu tave Meistras..._

 _Krusho tave Qyâsik Zvelgtiut..._

"Can you hear that?" Ranna asked, looking around. The whispers were back, growing more and more numerous until the blended together into an incomprehensible babble. She heard footsteps behind her and turned, only to see nothing.

 _Not again!_ Ranna thought.

She felt Kory put her hand on her shoulder. "I don't hear anything. Are you sure?"

She turned to face Kory. And saw the rotting, torn, muddy, face. **_Your fault!_**

Ranna jumped away with a shriek.

"Are you okay?"

She looked again, and Kory's face was normal though very frightened.. "I'm... fine. I thought I saw..."

Kory calmed down only bit, worry now setting in. "You're probably still woozy. Maybe we should-"

"Go back to the med-droid? No thanks."

Kory laughed a little. "Yeah, you probably just need some rest."

She placed her arm around Ranna and led her back to their dormitory. It was very quick to change back into their nightclothes, and then to sleep.

* * *

 _"Slaves gone! Months of work ruined!"_

 ** _Pain  
_** _  
"The quota unfulfilled! We're going to have to start from scratch!"_

 _ **Pain**_

 _This is all your fault, you worm!  
_

 ** _Pain_**

* * *

Ranna jolted awake yet again, breathing heavily. She sat up, waiting for her heartbeat to become normal. She looked around the room. It was now midnight, as the holoclock demonstrated. Once she trusted herself to move, she climbed down the ladder to walk over to the window. The Valley of the Dark Lords still looked impressive, even at night. She felt an urge to go out there, and the reason was immediately apparent.

She turned around, Kory was still asleep, and looked so peaceful and calm. There was no need to bring her along now. Instead, Ranna quietly dressed, placed her training saber (which appeared to have been returned to her room) on her back. She looked at the sith sword, still where Quarra had imbedded it in the wall. She considered taking it, but declined.

Leaving the sleeping Kory behind, Ranna left the room and headed outside the academy. Outside, the Valley looked strangely peaceful. Late at night, the temperature had gone down, and a gentle wind blew through the Valley. The stars above were a beautiful tapestry augmented Korriban's moons.

Ranna made her way down the ramp and back into the tomb entrances, on the way grabbing a flashlight from a pile of tools near the opening. She encountered no resistance along her way to her destination, and arrived in short order. As before, the room was lit, in the otherwise dark tomb.

She entered into the alter chamber and found the person she sought still meditating in front of the altar, now conspicuously absent of bloodstains. Without turning around, Spindrall spoke. "You have arrived. Now we can begin."

* * *

 _I didn't think I would enjoy writing the interactions between Ranna and Kory so much. But it proved to be a ton of fun._

~Dragonexx


End file.
